Apparatus for drying webs of textile material



1966 R. GOLDENBERG ETAL 3,284,922

APPARATUS FOR DRYING WEBS OF TEXTILE MATERIAL 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 21, 1964 INVENTORS: ROLF BULDENBERG HURST KAUBKE ERIEH HILBERUTH lhel'r A TTORNEY 15, 1966 R. GOLDENBERG ETAL 3,284,922

APPARATUS FOR DRYING WEBS OF TEXTILE MATERIAL Filed Sept. 21, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS: RULF GULDENBERG HORST KAUBKE ERIEH HILBERUTH palm-1' /ha/q,

their ATTORNEY Nov. 15, 1966 R. GOLDENBERG ETAL 3,284,922

APPARATUS FOR DRYING WEBS OF TEXTILE MATERIAL Filed Sept. 21, 1964 S Sheets-Sheet 5 59b 59a %f/ {S Sti d a 5045 I o Fig.8

INVENTORS. RULF GULUENBERB HURST KAUBKE ERICH HILGERUTH fheir A TTORNEY United States Patent C) 3,284,922 APPARATUS FOR DRYING WEBS OF TEXTILE MATERIAL Rolf Goldenberg, Remscheid-Lennep, Horst Kaubke,

Wuppertal-Ronsdorf, and Erich Hilgeroth, Remscheid- Luttringhausen, Germany, assignors to Maschinenfabrik Friedrich Haas G.m.b.H. & Co., Remscheid- Lennep, Germany Filed Sept. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 397,895 Claims priority, application. Germany, Sept. 21, 1963, M 58,295 18 Claims. (Cl. 34156) The present, invention relates to an apparatus for heating and drying travelling webs of textile material. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus which is especially suited for drying travelling webs consisting of thermosol dyed textile material.

It is already known to place the drier for webs of thermosol dyed textile material in front of a hot-flue so that the web passes through the drier and immediately enters the first stage of the hot-flue. A serious drawback of presently known 'driers is that their heating action is not sufiiciently uniform so that the dye cannot develop as uniformly as is necessary to obtain ahigh-quality product.

' Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for drying webs of thermosol dyed textile material and to construct the drying apparatus in such a way that its action is uniform in all zones of the travelling we'b.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel heating system for an apparatus of the just outlined characteristics and to construct the heating system in such a way that it may be readily adjusted for use in treatment of different types of thermosol dyed and other textile materials.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel air circulating system for use in an apparatus of the above outlined characteristics and to construct the air circulating system in such a way that the currents of air produced thereby protect the travelling web from localized overheating.

A further object of the invention is to provide a drying apparatus which may be combined with a hot-flue and with a dyeing assembly to form therewith a compact unit.

Briefly stated, one feature of our invention resides in the provision of an apparatus for drying textile materials, particularly of drying webs consisting of thermosol dyed textile material. The apparatus comprises the means to perform the steps of conveying a web of textile material in a preferably vertical plane and midway through an elongated vertical drying shaft so that the web advances from a dyeing station to a ventilating station, generating radiant heat at opposite sides of the web While the web advances through the shaft, and simultaneously contacting the web with currents of preheated air which are directed into the shaft in such a way that the air flows concurrently or countercurrently along both sides of the web and/or in directions substantially at right angles to the plane of the travelling web. Such multiple heating action by radiant heat and convection heat insures that the web is heated uniformly, i.e., without localized overheating, and that the drying operation may be completed in a comparatively short shaft and While the web advances at high speed.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in partciular in the appended claims. The improved drying apparatus itself, however, both as to its construction and its mode of operation, together with additional features and advan- 3,284,922 Patented Nov. 15, 1966 tages thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of certain specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a complete unit including a dyeing assembly, a hot-flue and a drying apparatus which later is located between the hot-flue and the dyeing assembly and is constructed in accordance with a first embodiment of our invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the unit as seen in the direction of arrow II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section through the lower part of the drying apparatus in a plane which is parallel with the plane of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 illustrates in vertical section a portion of a modified drying apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section through a third drying apparatus;

FIG. 6 is a similar fragmentary vertical section through a fourth drying apparatus;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section through a drying apparatus which constitutes. a further modification of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 5 and 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary vertical section through a drying apparatus which constitutes a further modification of the apparatus shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a similar fragmentary vertical section through another drying apparatus wherein the reflectors are movable in front or behind the respective heaters;

FIG. 10' is a fragmentary vertical section through a further drying apparatus; and

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary vertical section through an additional drying apparatus wherein the blowers are located close to the lower end of the drying shaft.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a textile machine which includes a drying apparatus A and a hot-flue B of the type disclosed in the copending application Serial No. 352,616, of Rolf Goldenberg et al. The present invention is mainly concerned with the construction and operation of the drying apparatus A.

The machine comprises a base 1 for pairs of upright supporting legs 2, 3 which carry a composite housing comprising a drier housing 4 and a hot-flue housing 5. The space beneath the drier housing 4 accommodates a dyeing vat 7 and three squeezing rollers 8 for a travelling web 6 of thermosol dyed textile material. After the web 6 issues from the gap between the right-hand squeezing rollers. 8 of FIG. 1, it is advanced vertically upwardly (arrow 6a) and in such a way that its sides do not touch the parts provided in a vertical drying shaft defining the dryer housing 4. The web is then guided around deflecting rollers 26, 27 which are mounted in the upper portion of the housing 4, and downwardly (arrow 612) into the first stage of the hot-flue B. The housing 5 of the hotflue accommodates a floating tensioner roller 36 which loops the web 6, and a conveyor including two rows of driven rollers 37, 38 which cause the web to travel in a meandering path and to be treated by blasts of air issuing from blowers 42, 43. The reference numeral 6d indicates the panels of the web 6 which are formed by the rollers 37, 38. After leaving the housing 5, the web '6 is led over a further deflecting roller 39 and downwardly (arrow 6e) to be collected on a mandrel 40 or to pass on to a folding mechanism 41 of conventional design.

As the web 6 advances in a vertical plane and upwardly through the vertical shaft of the drier housing 4 (arrow 6a), its sides are heated by two vertical rows of horizontal radiators or heaters '9, 10 which may be heated by gas or by electric current. The heaters 9, 10 are fixedly mounted in the housing 4 and each thereof preferably comprises a pair of horizontal tubular heating units, see FIG. 3, which extend transversely of the web. The two rows of heaters 9, 10 are spaced from the respective sides of the web 6. The outer sides of the heaters 9, 10 (i.e., such sides which face away from the web 6) are surrounded by paraboloid reflectors 11, 12 which serve to reflect radiant heat in a direction toward the respective sides of the web.

Adjacent to the lateral edges of the web 6, the-re are provided pairs of vertical supporting rails 14, 15 for horizontally extending plate-like or trough-like shields 13, 21. The ends of the shields 13 are connected to the rails 14 and are located in a vertical plane extending between the plane of the heaters 9 and the plane of the web 6. The ends of the shield-s 21 are connected to the rails 15 and are located in a vertical plane extending between theplane of the web 6 and the plane of the heaters 10. The lower ends of the rails 14, 15 are connected to the arms of two scale beams 16 which are fu-lcrumed at 16a, see FIG. 3, and may be tilted by electromagnets 17 or by any other suitable actuating means. The rails 14, 15 may move the shields 13, 21 directly in front of or away from the respective heaters 9, 10 to thereby control the heating action upon the web '6.

The drier housing 4 further accommodates a pair of vertical air flow regulating partitions 18a, 18b, which are respectively located behind the reflectors 11, 12 and are provided with groups of perforations located close to and behind the respective reflectors. Thus, the perforations of the partition 18a shown in FIG. 3 are located behind the paraboloid reflectors 11, and the perforations of the partition 18b are disposed in similar fashion with reference to the reflectors 12. The space 4d between the vertical side wall of the housing 4 and the partition 18a accommodates a battery of suitably distributed heating elements 19. Analogously, the space 4e between the righthand side wall 4b of the housing 4 and the right-hand partition 18b accommodates a battery of heating elements 20.

The upper portion of the drier housing 4 receives a blower 30 which is driven by an electric motor 32 through the intermediary of a belt and pulley drive 31, The housing 4 defines airflow regulating channels 33 which lead to the upper ends of the spaces 4d, 4e. As indicated by the arrows 22, 23, 24, the current of air produced by the blower 30 is divided in two smaller currents which flow through the channels 33, thereupon downwardly through the spaces 4d, 4e and are united to flow upwardly through the space 41 between the shields 13, 21, i.e., along the opposite sides of the web 6. Suitable regulating valves in the form of flaps 29 are provided to direct the current which ascends through the space 4 into a collecting compartment 25 whence the air enters the suction side of the blower 30 to be returned into the channels 33. A further valve in the form of a flap 28 is provided in the upper portion of the drier housing 4 to regulate the outflow of spent air, particularly from the housing of the hot-flue B. Such spent air is withdrawn by a suction fan 34 which is driven by an electric motor 35. This fan 34 withdraws spent air from the housing 5 but it may also withdraw some air from the upper end of the vertical shaft of the drier housing 4.

As shown in FIG. 3, the jets of heated air which issue through the perforations of the partition 18a impinge against the reflectors 11 and are deflected into the gaps between the adjoining reflectors to pass intermediate the shields 13 and into the space 4 to the left of the web 6. Such jets of heated air are indicated by arrows 18c, and it is clear that the jets are also heated on contact wit-h the reflectors 11. The same applies for the jets of air which penetrate through the perforations of the righthand partition 18b.

The partitions 18a, 18b may "be provided with uniformly distributed perforations so that some air will penetrate through the gaps between the reflectors 11, 12 without ever touching the same and that the remaining jets of heated air will flow in directions indicated by arrows 180. However, the arrangement of perforations shown in FIG.

3 is normally preferred because the jets shown at 18c exchange heat with the reflectors 11, 12 and are heated toa' very high temperature at thetime they enter the space 4f and impinge against the web 6. Alternatively, and as shown in FIG. 4, the partitions 18a, 18b may be replaced by partitions 118a whose perforations are aligned with the gaps between the reflectors 11 or 12 so that the jets 118s need not impinge against the reflectors and may be directed at right angles to and against the respective sides of the web 6 without any deflection. Otherwise, the construction shown in FIG. 4 is'identical with that shown in FIG. 3. Partitions 118a are preferred in drying apparatus wherein the web 6 need not be heated to a temperature which is as high as the temperature of the web shown in FIGS. l-3 because the jets 118C cannot exchange heat with the reflectors 11, 12. It will be noted that when the apparatus is in actual use, the shields 13, 21 are staggered with reference to the reflectors 11, 12 and the per- :forations of the partition 118a shown in FIG. 4 are located exactly or nearly exactly at the level of the horizontal gaps between the upper and lower ends of the shieldsv and the adjacent edges of the respective reflectors. In other words, the jets indicated by arrows 118crnay impinge against the web 6 without undergoing any deflectionby the reflectors and/or shields.

FIG. 5 illustrates a portion of a modified drying apparatus wherein the plate-like or tray-dike shields 14, 21 are replaced by rod-like or tubular horizontal shields 13a whi-ch are arranged in pairs and are connected .to vertically reciprocable upright rails 14a. The rear sides of the heater 10a, and the diameters of the shields 13a preferably atin-g the mechanism which reciprocates the rails 14a,'the operator may adjust the position of the shields 13a with reference to the heaters 10a. The axial distance between ficcs 44:: may be replaced by rows of nozzles which may disperse the jets of air flowing in the directions of arrows 46. The construction of the shields 13a, rails 14a, heaters 10a and reflectors 12a is the same as described in connection with FIG. 5. It will be noted that the heaters 10a and reflectors 12a are accommodated in horizontal recesses 44b provided in the front side of the partition 44 shown in FIG. 6.

The above described types of drying apparatus insure that the web 6 is heated very rapidly and with highly satisfactory uniformity but invariably in such a way that the material is protected from localized overheating. The heating action may be adjusted by shifting the shields up or down .to regulate the direct heating-action. The horizontally directed jets indicated by the arrows 18c, 118a or 46 produce a thermal convection effect which is due to automatic circulation of air in response to differences in temperature and density. I

The improved drying apparatus is preferably provided with a control device which automatically disconnects the heaters whenever the web 6 comes to a halt. Also, such control device preferably moves the shields in front of the respective heaters to prevent further radiation heating of the web. In addition, the control device preferably adjusts the valves 28, 29 in such a way that the current of heated air immediately enters the channel leading to the suction fan 34 to thus prevent any convection heating of the stationary web. It is also clear that the blower 30 may be replaced by a different blower or by two or more blowers. The same applies for the suction fan 34. Furthermore, the valves 28, 29 may be replaced by different types of valves.

FIG. 7 illustrates a portion of a drying apparatus which is quite similar to the one shown in FIG. 5. This apparatus comprises two meandering partitions 50 (only one shown) which are provided with orifices 50a and recesses 50b. The reflectors are omitted and each recess accommodates a single heater 52; thus, the non-perforated substantially U-shaped" portions of the partitions 50 serve as reflectors for the heaters 52. Each heater 52 may be screened by a single tubular or rod-shaped shield 54-, and such shields are mounted on pairs of vertical rails 54a which are reciprocable in directions indicated by a doubleheaded arr-ow 53. The apparatus of FIG. 7 is shown in idle position; therefore, the shields 54 are located directly in front of the respective heaters 52. When the apparatus is started, the shields 54 are moved above or below the level of the corresponding heaters 52 so as not to obstruct the heating action and to allow for unobstructed discharge of jets 55. The jets represent air which has been heated by the elements 19 or 20 in a manner as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

FIG. 8 illustrates a portion of a drying apparatus having two flat vertical partitions 56 (only one shown provided with slot-shaped or otherwise configurated orifices 57 to direct jets 57a of preheated air into the space im mediately surrounding the web. Each orifice 57 may be replaced by a suitable nozzle. Directly in front of or close to the partition 56 shown in FIG. 8, there is provided a vertical row of pairwise arranged horizontal tubular heaters 58 which may be screened by pairs of horizontal tubular shields 59 mounted on vertical rails 59a to be reciprocable in directions indicated by a double-headed arrow 59b. The apparatus of FIG. 8 is assumed to be in operation because the heaters 58 are not screend by the respective shields 59. The jets 57a may flow without obstruction by passing between the heaters 58 and between the shields 59 of the respective pair, or between the gaps intermediate the adjoining pairs of shields 59.

In FIG. 9 the partition 50 corresponds to the one shown in FIG. 7 but the shields 54 are omitted. Therefore, the heaters 63 are combined with arcuate semicylindrical or trough-shaped reflectors 61 which are rotatable aboutv horizontal axes as indicated by double-headed arrows 62. In the full-line positions, the reflectors '6-1 will reflect heat against the respective side of the web. When the apparatus is idle or when the web is arrested, the reflectors 61 are rotated through 180 degrees in a clockwise-or counterclockwise direction and take the phantom-line positions 61 in which they serve as protective shields to prevent direct radiation of heat against the web.

FIG. shows a modified partition 64 whose recesses 64a are surrounded by semicylindrical wallportions 65 and wherein each recess accommodates a two-unit heater 66. The orifices 67 provided in the flat coplanar portions of the partition 64 allow jets 67a of heated air to pass between pairs of tubular shields 68 which are mounted on reciprocable rails 68a. The distance between the shields of each pair approximates the distance between the heaters of any given pair. When the apparatus is in use, the shields 68 are moved to positions in which they cannot prevent direct heating of the travelling web and in which they allow the jets 67a to impinge at right angles against the respective side of the web.

Referring finally to FIG. 11, there is shown a portion of a further drying apparatus which is similar to the one shown in FIG. 8. tion 69 is spaced from the bottom wall 70 of the drier housing to define a passage whose effective area may be controlled by a wedge-like valve member 72. This valve member 72 is movable horizontally in directions indicated by a double-headed arrow 71. When the valve member 72 is moved to the phantom-line sealing position of FIG. 11, it prevents circulation of air beneath the partition 69 The lower end portion of the parti- 4 and the current of air produced by a blower 73 flows into a chamber 74 at the outer side of the partition 69 to pass through orifices 75 in the partition and to thereby form a series of jets indicated 'by arrows 76. The arrows 77, 76, 78 and 79 indicate the direction of air flow, and the phantom line 206 indicates the vertical plane in which the web travels upwardly in the space provided to the left of the heaters 83 and shields 82 which latter are mounted on guide rails 82a reciprocable by scale beams 82b. The current of air flowing in the direction indicated by the arrow 78 passes through the gaps between a battery of horizontal heating elements 80 which are provided in the upper portion of the dried housing and correspond to the elements 20 of FIG. 1. A throttel valve in the form of a butterfly valve 81 is provided downstream of the heating elements 80 to regulate the flow of heated air (arrow 79) to the suction side of the blower 73.

As soon as the web is arrested, the scale beams 82b (which are provided at the upper ends of the rails 8201) move the rails 82a in such positions that the shields 82 screen the respective heaters 83. At the same time, the wedges 72 are moved to the full-line open positions to admit large quantities of comparatively cold air which flows along the stationary web. Also, the control system of the drying apparatus closes the throttle valve 81 and turns off the heating elements 80. The circulating air current then takes the path of least resistance and flows through the passage beneath the partition 69 to effect even stronger cooling of the web. Such air also cools the heaters 83.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features which fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for drying textile materials, particularly for drying webs of thermosol dyed material, comprising a drier housing having an upper portion and defining an elongated substantially vertical shaft; means for advancing a web of textile material through said shaft so that the web advances in a substantially vertical plane; heaters provided at both sides of and spaced from the web to heat the same; adjustable shields provided in said shaft at each side of the web and each having an outer side remote therefrom; means for adjusting said shields with reference to the heaters to regulate the heating action; blower means arranged in said upper portion for generating currents of air in said housing; means for. directing at least a major portion of such currents of air into said shaft first downwardly along said outer sides of said shields and subsequently upwardly along both sides of the web; and mean for heating the air in said housing but outside of said shaft.

2. An apparatus for drying textile materials, particularly for drying webs of thermosol dyed material, comprising a drier housing downwardly defining an elongated shaft; conveyor means for advancing a web of textile material through said shaft; heaters provided in said housing :at both sides of and spaced from the web to subject the material to the action of radiant heat; blower means arranged in said upper portion for generating currents of air; means for heating such air; and regulating means for controlling the flow of thus heated air from said blower means downwardly through said shaft, and upwardly back to said blower means, said regulating means comprising partitions outwardly adjacent to said heaters and having orifices arranged to direct jets of heated air substantially at right angles to and against the respective sides of the web.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the means for heating air comprises batteries of heating elements outwardly adjacent to said partitions.

4. An apparatus for drying textile materials, particularly for drying Webs of thermosol dyed material, comprising a drier housing having an upper portion and defining a substantially vertical shaft; means for advancing a web of textile material through said shaft; heaters provided in said housing at both sides of the web to subject the material to the action of radiant heat; blower means provided in the upper portion of said housing for generating currents of air; partitions outwardly adjacent to said heaters; heating elements outwardly adjacent to said partitions; and means for flowing said currents of air from said blower means along said heating elements at the outer sides of said partitions remote from said web and for guiding a major portion of said air into the lower portion of said shaft at both sides of the web so that the thus heated air flows upwardly along both sides of the web and leaves the shaft at the upper end thereof, said partitions having orifices arranged to direct jets of preheated air against the respective sides of the Web.

5. An apparatus for drying textile materials, particularly for drying webs of thermosol dyed materials, comprising a drier housing defining an elongated shaft; conveyor means for advancing a web of textile material through said shaft; heaters provided in said housing at both sides of and spaced from the web to subject the material to the action of radiant heat; blower means provided in said housing for generating currents of air; means for heating such air; regulating means for controlling the flow of thus heated air from said blower means, through said shaft, and back to said blower means; and control means responsive to inactivation of said conveyor means for automatically terminating the circulation of heated air in contact with the web.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 5, further comprising adjustable shield means provided in said housing and operatively connected with said control means for shielding the Web from said heaters in response to inactivation of said conveyor means so that the web is shielded from radiant heat when not in motion.

7. An apparatus for drying textile materials, particularly for drying webs of thermosol dyed material, comprising a drier housing having an upper portion and defining a substantially vertical shaft; means for advancing a web of textile material through said shaft; heaters provided in said housing at both sides of the web to subject the material to the action of radiant heat; blower means provided in the upper portion of said housing for generating currents of air; partitions outwardly adjacent to said heaters; heating elements outwardly adjacent to said partitions; and means including adjustable valves for regulating the flow of air from said blower means, along said heating elements at the outer sides of said partitions and into the lower portion of said shaft at both sides of the web so that the thus heated air flows along both sides of the web and leaves the shaft at the upper end thereof, said partitions having orifices arranged to direct jets of preheated air against the respective sides of the web.

8. An apparatus for drying textile materials, particularly for drying webs of thermosol dyed materials, comprising a drier housing defining an elongated shaft; conveyor means for advancing a web of textile material through said shaft; a row of heaters pro-vided in said housing at each side of and spaced from the web, said heaters extending substantially transversely of the web; a partition outwardly adjacent to each row of heaters; reflectors provided between said partitions and the respective rows of heaters to reflect radiant heat against the respective sides of the travelling web; adjustable shields provided between said rows of heaters and the respective sides of the web; means for adjusting the position of said shields with reference to the corresponding heaters to thereby control the action of reflected heat; blower means provided in said housing to produce currents of air; regulating means for directing such currents of air along the outer sides of said partitions, into said shaft at one end thereof, and back to said blower means from the other end of the shaft, said partitions having orifices through which jets of air impinge against the respective sides of the Web; and heating elements provided in the path of circulating air to heat the same.

9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein said partitions have recesses open toward the respective sides of the web, said reflectors and said heaters being accommodated in the recesses of the respective partitions.

10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein said shields are tubes extending in parallelism with said heaters and movable into and out of the gap between one of said heaters and the corresponding side of the web.

11. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein said shields are normally kept out of the path of heat which is radiated by said reflectors, said orifices being distributed in such a way that the jets of air issuing therethrough may travel between said reflectors and said shields and substantially at right angles against the respective sides of the web.

12. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein said orifices are located behind the respective reflectors so that the reflectors are cooled by jets of air and deflect such jets to flow between the heaters in the respective rows.

13. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein each heater comprises a plurality of heating units.

14. An apparatus for drying textile materials, particularly for drying Webs of thermosol dyed material, comprising a drier housing defining an elongated shaft; conveyor means for advancing a web of textile material through said shaft; a row of heaters provided in said housing at each side of and spaced from the web, said heaters extending substantially transversely of the web; a partition outwardly adjacent to each row of heaters and having portions arranged to reflect radiant heat against the respective sides of the web; adjustable shields provided between said rows of heaters and the respective sides-of the web; means for adjusting the position of said shields with reference to the corresponding heaters to thereby control the action of reflected heat; blower means provided in said housing to produce currents of air; regulating means for directing such currents of air along the outer sides of said partitions, into said shaft at one end thereof, and back to said blower means from the other end of the shaft, said partitions having orifices through which jets of air impinge against the respective sides of the web; and heating elements provided in the path of circulating air to heat the same.

15. An apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein the reflecting portions of said partitions are of substantially semicircular cross section.

16. An apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein the reflecting portions of said partitions are of substantially U-shaped cross section.

17. An apparatus for drying textile materials, particularly for drying webs of thermosol dyed material, comprising a drier housing defining an elongated shaft; conveyor means for advancing a Web of textile material through said shaft; a row of heaters provided in said housing at each side of and spaced from the web, said heaters extending substantially transversely of the web; a partition outwardly adjacent to each row of heaters; adjustable reflectors normally located between said partitions and the respective rows of heaters to reflect radiant heat against the respective sides of the travelling web, said reflectors being movable in front of the respective heaters to prevent radiation of heat against the web;

blower means provided in said housing to produce currents of air; regulating means for directing such currents of air; regulating means for directing such currents of air along the outer sides of said partitions, into said shaft at one end thereof, and back to said blower means from the other end of the shaft, said partitions having orifices through which jets of air impinge against the respective sides of the web; and heating elements provided in the path of circulating air to heat the same.

18. An apparatus for drying textile materials, particularly for drying webs of thermosol dyed materials, comprising a drier housing defining an elongated shaft having a lower end and an upper end; conveyor means for advancing a web of textile material through said shaft; first heating means provided in said housing for subjecting the travelling web to the action of radiated heat; blower means for introducing a flow of air at least into the lower end of said housing; and second heating means provided in said housing for heating said air whereby to cause a thermal convection effect resulting in flow of air toward said upper end and thereby subjecting the travelling web to the action of convection heat.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,807,097 9/1957 Kullgren et a1. 34159 FOREIGN PATENTS 276,118 9/1951 Switzerland.

FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Primary Examiner.

JOHN J. 'CAMBY, Examiner. 

18. AN APPARATUS FOR DRYING TEXTILE MATERIALS, PARTICULARLY FOR DRYING WEBS OF THERMOSOL DYED MATERIALS, COMPRISING A DRIER HOUSING DEFINING AN ELONGATED SHAFT HAVING A LOWER END AND AN UPPER END; CONVEYOR MEANS FOR ADVANCING A WEB OF TEXTILE MATERIAL THROUGH SAID SHAFT; FIRST HEATING MEANS PROVIDED IN SAID HOUSING FOR SUBJECTING THE TRAVELLING WEB TO THE ACTION OF RADIATED HEAT; BLOWER MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A FLOW OF AIR AT LEAST INTO THE LOWER END OF SAID HOUSING; AND SECOND HEATING MEANS PROVIDED IN SAID HOUSING FOR HEATING SAID AIR WHEREBY TO CAUSE A THERMAL CONVECTION EFFECT RESULTING IN FLOW OF AIR TOWARD SAID UPPER END AND THEREBY SUBJECTING THE TRAVELLING WEB TO THE ACTION OF CONVECTION HEAT. 